1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a fluid ejecting apparatus.
2. Related Art
In the related art, an ink jet printer (hereinafter refer to as a “printer”) is widely known as a fluid ejecting apparatus capable of ejecting ink droplets onto a printing sheet (medium). Such a printer has a problem that nozzles are clogged by increased viscosity or solidification of ink which results from evaporation of the ink from the nozzles of a printing head, attached dust, commingling of bubbles, or the like, thereby resulting in printing failure. Accordingly, such a printer is configured to carry out a flushing operation to forcibly discharge the ink from the inside of the nozzles, aside from the ejection with respect to the printing sheets.
In general, although a printing head is moved to an area other than a printing area to carry out the flushing operation in a scan type printer, a printer equipped with a line head with a fixed printing head is not able to move the printing head at the time of the flushing operation. Accordingly, for example, a method of ejecting the ink onto an absorbing material (absorbing member), which is provided on a surface of a transporting belt for transporting the printing sheet, has been considered (refer to JP-A-2005-119284).
However, in the technology disclosed in JP-A-2005-119284, since a plurality of absorbing materials are placed at regular intervals on the transporting belt to coincide with the size of the printing sheet, the ink must be ejected while aiming for a gap between the printing sheets when flushing. Therefore, there is a problem that the size of the printing sheets or the transporting speed of the printing sheet is limited. In addition, if the flushing is carried out with respect to the planar absorbing material, the ink of a mist form is scattered by wind pressure which is generated with the discharge of the ink droplets, so that the surface of the printing sheet or the transporting belt may be contaminated.
Accordingly, there is considered a method of receiving the ink into an absorbing member, in which a linear absorbing material is used, and the linear absorbing member (absorbing material) is interposed between the line head and the printing sheet (printing medium), so that the flushing is carried out by ejecting the ink to the absorbing member. In this instance, the absorbing member should be necessarily moved between a flushing position, in which the absorbing member absorbs the ink droplets ejected from the nozzles, and a retraction position, in which the absorbing member is retracted from the flight path of the ink droplets ejected from the nozzles, during the intermission of the flushing operation and the printing of the printing sheet.
However, for example, when the absorbing member is moved from the retraction position to the flushing position, vibration is generated in the absorbing member due to the acceleration or the deceleration resulting from movements and stoppages. If the flushing is carried out under the vibrating state, the ink droplets do not get trapped by the absorbing member, and thus the printing sheet or a surface for holding the printing sheet may be contaminated. It is necessary to stand by without carrying out the flushing operation until the vibration of the absorbing member is stabilized. However, for example, if the flushing is periodically carried out in the interval of the printing, it is important to shorten the printing time and to shorten the flushing time. Therefore, it is necessary to further shorten the time needed for the flushing.
In order to suppress the vibration of the absorbing member, the influence of the acceleration or the deceleration which results from the movements and stoppages of the absorbing member should be reduced. To this end, it is considered that a motor having an advanced mechanism is employed, and that the driving of the motor is highly controlled. However, there is an adverseness that such a motor is expensive, and thus if the motor is employed, the cost of the printer is significantly increased.